Family Planning Access for All: Policy Change for Action and Accountability

This document was prepared for the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition's (RHSC) Resource Mobilisation and Awareness Working Group (now the Advocacy and Accountability Working Group - A&A WG) prior to the 2012 Family Planning Summit in London, United Kingdom. The document condenses suggestions for policy changes made by organisations in 16 countries in order to meet the goals set at the Family Planning Summit. The focus is on policy changes and actions to improve commodity security, programming, and practice, i.e., supply factors. Ten themes were distilled from many policy priorities that emerged at the Summit:

1. Support legislative and policy development and implementation frameworks; prioritise the provision of family planning as an integral part of health services.
2. Ensure adequate and sustainable national resources for family planning at all levels (national, district, and local) to support procurement and provision of family planning services.
3. Develop a policy implementation structure that links central and decentralised institutions.
4. Focus on task shifting and improve the skills of the health workforce, particularly at the community level.
5. Ensure registration, importation, procurement, and distribution of reproductive health essential medicines, contraceptives, and consumables using public and private sector infrastructures.
6. Establish policies that integrate family planning as part of the provision of sexual and reproductive health services.
7. Support gender equity and promote girls education.
8. Support policy development and implementation that prioritises provision of services for vulnerable and economically poor sectors of the population, including adolescents.
9. Include family planning in poverty reduction strategy development and implementation.
10. Provide a policy environment that is conducive for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations to provide a continuum of services.

The table of "Summary of Policy Changes" follows with each of the above priorities followed by a column with illustrative actions to support policy change, and, finally, a column listing the relevant countries. A second table identifies which of the ten strategies are priorities for each county.

Some actions being undertaken in each of the prioritised areas have a communications component:

• Encourage political commitment and hold governments accountable;
• Use different media to engage civil society/communities (especially women and girls), religious leaders, and others;
• Strengthen leadership;
• Ensure integration of services, commodity security, training, etc.;
• Advocate for family planning as part of decentralised health systems and ensure accountability at all levels for policy and programme implementation;
• Advocate for adequate resources at all levels;
• Increase the provision, training, and regulation of different categories of health personnel;
• Provide a policy and practice environment that enhances task shifting, including pre-service and in-service training;
• Develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks for family planning services;
• Advocate for policies and programmes that expand access to education, including an emphasis on secondary education;
• Enhance the engagement of men in support of gender equity and the provision of family planning services and adolescent friendly services;
• Invest in mobile units that provide information and services in remote and disadvantaged areas;
• Collaborate closely with faith-based organisations, among others, to ensure wide outreach;
• Advocate for an integrated approach across sectors, including population issues and climate change;
• Ensure the participation of the non-state sector; and
• Expand social marketing.

Strategies for members of the working group include strengthening civil society engagement and action, as well as the engagement of countries themselves, and collaborating effectively for accountability.